Join & Give

About

Steven Montgomery

American, born 1954

Large Hexagonal Nut, 2006

On View

Earthenware

Dimensions: 23 × 27 × 8 in. (58.4 × 68.6 × 20.3 cm)

Gift of Marilynn and Ivan Karp, 2008.325

Steven Mongomery’s fantasy machines resemble the images that inspired them—metal engines rusting in Detroit junkyards and giant electrical conduits. Close up, however, something seems amiss. This is not a large metal nut, it is a hollow ceramic sculpture. He uses various techniques to form his pieces, including hand-building, wheel-throwing, and press molds. His larger pieces are made in parts that are assembled post-firing. The surfaces are painted with oil paint after the clay is fired.